1 ( Monday, May 16, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Carr given Mott fund, inducted to Hall of Fame
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By TIM ROHAN named the "Lloyd Carr Mountain-
Daily Sports Editor top Foundation" at the hospital to
- help families of patients duringtheir
"Oh my God," Lloyd Carr said to time of need. The fund got its name
himself. from a metaphor Carr shared with
It was that kind of night for the his players about a journey to the
former Michigan football coach at top of Mount Everest just before the
a dinner gala Saturday night for the 1997 National Championship season
Champions for Children's Hearts started. As of Saturday night, the
Weekend to benefit C.S. Mott Chil- fund had $750,000 in it with dona-
dren's Hospital. tions from several notable Michigan
Michigan Athletic Director Dave football alumni.
Brandon had just announced a $6 A video montage played with
million donation by the Al Glick several players commenting on
family - $3 million for outdoor Carr's influence on them as young
renovations to Schembechler Hall men. Jerry Hanlon, a former Michi-
and the other $3 million given to gan assistant coach and offensive
sponsor a cardiac wing of the new line coach under Bo Schembechler,
Mott's Hospital that would bear called Carr a "gentleman." One
Carr's name - The Coach Carr Pedi- player said he was lucky to have
atric Cancer Unit. Moments earlier, known Carr. And Mike Hart attrib-
one of the event's co-chairs, former uted Carr for his own personal
Michigan quarterback Brian Gri- growth, especially with the team's
ese, announced that Carr would be involvement with Mott Children's
a first-ballot selection of the College Hospital.
Football Hall of Fame, which won't When Carr took center stage
officially announce its latest class after those surprises, he was at a
until Tuesday. loss for words for a bit. The third co-
And another co-chair, former chair, former Michigan guard Steve
Michigan cornerback Charles Hutchinson, checked to make sure
Woodson, had yet another surprise Carr's microphone was still on. It
for the coach: Carr's former players was, he just didn't know what to say.
revealed they had organized a fund "You can only imagine what an
honor this is," Carr said with misty
eyes. He recalled the humble begin-
nings of the connection between
the hospital and a football program.
"What Michigan athletics, Mich-
igan football, can do, is spread the
word," he was told by Dr. Valerie
Castle at the hospital five years ago.
At first, they sold wristbands that
read "MGoBlue" and they had pri-
vate visits.
"Over a period of time, what you
see here tonight is what happened,"
Carr said in front of the crowd of
about 800 at Al Glick Fieldhouse.
They were there to raise money
for Mott Children's Hospital, with
an evening of live and silent auc-
tions among friends of the school
and program. It was sandwiched
between an all-day radio mara-
thon on WTKA on Friday and a golf
tournament on Sunday, all to raise
money for Mott.
"We had a bunch of people that
were ' attracted because of the
enthusiasm and excitement and the
understanding of what this hospi-
tal could do," Carr continued. "And
all of you, and many, many others
across this country are a part of
this, to me. And you are a part of
what this legacy will be."
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr received a foundation in his name this weekend,
as well as learning that he was a 2011 inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame.
The new C.S. Mott Children's
hospital is scheduled to open this
November, and Carr remembered
thinking to himself five years ago,
"That will be one of the greatest
days in the history of the University
of Michigan."
He added: "All of those phenom-
enal doctors, and surgeons and
nurses, and all of the administrators
and people who make this place so
special, I say thanks."
Carr started his speech by
acknowledging his family, his wife
and three kids, and he ended it by
recognizing two mentors - the late
coach Schembechler and former
coach Gary Moeller, who was in
attendance - as well as the former
players in attendance.
"I wish coach Schembechler
could be here tonight because he
would be as excited as we are," Carr
said.
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